Oregonians Will Drastically Suffer under Trump’s Proposed Health Plan

Oregon – As many as 465,000 Oregonians will lose health coverage between 2018 and 2023, including approximately 80,000 next year, if President Trump’s American Health Care Act is implemented. That’s according to a new report released by Oregon Governor Kate Brown written by the Oregon Health Authority and the Department of Consumer Business Services.

APANO, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, is gravely concerned about the devastation this new proposed health care plan will have on all Oregonians. According to the report, “The loss of $2.6 billion in federal Medicaid funding between 2020 and 2023 would slow economic activity in Oregon. We expect these losses to drain more than $500 million in direct health spending from the Oregon economy.”

Under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, the number of uninsured Asian Americans dropped from around 16% to 8%, according to NBC. If Trump’s new health care plan is implemented, the number of uninsured Americans will dramatically increase, especially among communities of color who statistically are uninsured at a higher rate than white Americans.

In addition, President Trump’s new plan would restrict provider options and threatens access to centers like Planned Parenthood whose services benefit more than 51,000 Oregonian women. It would also adversely affect rural Oregonians.

“The new Trump plan will be a complete disaster for Oregon,” Zahir Janmohamed, APANO’s Policy Director said. “Communities of color are already vulnerable, especially given the rise in of hate crimes in Oregon, and stripping tens of thousands of their health insurance is unfair, short-sighted, and ultimately, more costly for Oregon as a whole.”